On the evening of October 29, less than a week before the presidential election,
Republican nominee James Blaine attended a fundraising dinner at New York City's
elegant restaurant, Delmonico's. The guest list of wealthy contributors included
Jay Gould and Cornelius Vanderbilt. Blaine spoke on the topic of the Republican
role in generating economic prosperity for New York City and the nation.
Unfortunately for the candidate, it lent credence to Democratic claims that the
Republicans cared only for the interests of the rich, not the working class,
whom Blaine had been targeting with his emphasis on the protective tariff.